BtVS Double Drabble: Gone

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Title: Gone
Fandom: BtVS
Author: badly_knitted
Characters: Joyce, Buffy.
Rating: PG
Written For: Challenge 046: Mind at doubledrabbles.
Spoilers/Setting: Becoming Part 2.
Summary: Buffy has run away and all Joyce wants is for her daughter to come home.
Disclaimer: I don’t own BtVS, or the characters. They belong to the wonderful Joss Whedon.
A/N: Double drabble.




Joyce is slowly going out of her mind; she doesn’t know her little girl anymore. Buffy claimed she’s a Slayer, whatever that is, insisted that vampires and demons are real, and that she had to stop her ex-boyfriend Angel from ending the world, or something. Maybe it’s Buffy who’s lost her mind; a bad break-up, especially after what happened between her parents, might have pushed her over the edge.


In retrospect, giving Buffy an ultimatum was the wrong way to handle things. If Joyce had tried to be more sympathetic and understanding, perhaps if she’d offered to go with her daughter to confront Angel instead of telling Buffy not to bother coming back if she left… Of all the times Joyce had screwed up as a parent that was hands down the worst. She hadn’t even meant it, not really; she’d simply been trying to shock her daughter back to reality, make her see sense. It had backfired spectacularly.


Now Buffy’s gone, run away from home. She must have slipped back during the night, thrown a few things in a bag, and left. Joyce has no idea where her daughter is, or if she’s okay.


She just wants Buffy back.



The End

Comments

[cynthia2015.livejournal.com]

Joyce: Have you tried not being a slayer?

Joyce was an awesome mother.

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She was, but she made mistakes.

Thank you!

[cynthia2015.livejournal.com]

Oh yeah. She tried, which was more than Buffy's father ever did. Parents have to be firm but fair. But most importantly be there for their kids.

Joyce: Have we met?
Spike: You hit me with an axe one time, remember? "Get the hell away from my daughter"

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Buffy spent the summer with her dad between seasons one and two, he wasn't a bad father. He tried.

I loved that scene.

[cynthia2015.livejournal.com]

Well, it did start out that way. But that changed shortly after the appearance of Dawn. Not that its her fault. The writing went in that direction.

"During Joyce's sickness and following death, Buffy tried to contact Hank leaving "messages all over the place," with no response; at the time, the last she'd heard from him was that he was in Spain with his secretary. After her resurrection, Buffy described Hank as a "shiftless and absentee father".

Dawn: I feel safe with you.
Spike: Take that back!

It was such an amusing scene. Along with the other scenes when he was protecting the "Summer" family. In stead of being a threat towards Buffy.

[bk_forever]

Well, I think the character wouldn't have worked too well with Dawn around. He wouldn't have 'remembered' her.

Spike was a fun character anyway.

[cynthia2015.livejournal.com]

My memory is quite vague on this one. So vague that I get a refresher from listening to video reviews. They can be quite philosophical.

I think Dawn didn't notified her father that Buffy had "died" because she didn't want to be taken away from everyone else. This is after Joyce had passed away. I wish there had been a reason for why Hank didn't acknowledge his ex-wife's death. Instead we had Angel consoling Buffy.

Michelle Trachtenberg had lines which consisted of filing in the blanks because Dawn's character came out of no where. Like rewriting history. Which is more complicated than say Paige on "Charmed".

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It was probably something as simple as the actor not being available. Anyway, I liked Angel coming to comfort Buffy.

Dawn's character had to re-educate the audience. The audience went WHAT? when she first showed up!

[cynthia2015.livejournal.com]

Angel to Buffy: I ain't getting any older.

Yeah. Sometimes they don't want to recast a character. It's when Buffy started to lean on Giles as a father figure.

Felicity Smoak: I hate mysteries. They bug me. They need to be solved.

We all felt out of the loop. Learning at the same time as Buffy. I was glad when Dawn was no longer "The Key".

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Recasting is hard, you don't want to disrespect your fans. Giles made a good father figure, plus he was there for her.

That's what mysteries are for, right?

Dawn turned everything upside down.

[cynthia2015.livejournal.com]

So hard that if the decision is made, the character can change personality altogether. For example, Victor Bennett on Charmed.

Buffy: I-if someone were free, they'd take their daughters or their student... or their Slayer. (looks up at Giles hopefully)

When her dad cancelled their plans for the ice show due to work, she asked Giles. Instead of taking up on her mums offer to go together.

Rick Castle: Don't ruin my story with your logic.

Like Kate Beckett would say: I'm a fan of the genre, but its the storytelling that counts.*looks at the show "Lost" with shifty eyes*

Eleven Doctor: What are you, eh? Are you a trick, a trap?
Clara: I don't know what you're talking about!

Me: What are you up to Moffat?

Dawn Summers (writing in her diary/voiceover): She, (Buffy) still thinks I'm little miss nobody, just her dumb little sister. Boy, is she in for a surprise.

Dawn didn't know she was "the key" at that point, so why did she say that? Exaggerated teenage angst perhaps?

[bk_forever]

Poor Buff. Sometimes little girls, or even bigger girls, just want their dads, or if not, then a surrogate.

I actually loved Lost, although I only saw the first three series. Sometimes we just have to hope the producers and showrunners and scriptwriters know what they're doing.

I think it must have just been teen angst. What kid sister doesn't think 'I'll show you' when older siblings are dismissive?

[cynthia2015.livejournal.com]

It's nice to have a mentor/friend you can depend on. Buffy was lucky she had Giles. Who was always overprotective of her and tried to do what's best for her.:)

J.J. Abrams (In the creation of "Lost"): Damon Lindelof and I, who created the show with me, we were basically tasked with creating this series that we had very little time to do. We had 11 and a half weeks to write it, cast it, crew it, shoot it, cut it, post it, turn in a two-hour pilot. So it was not a lot of time. And that sense of possibility -- what could this thing be? There was no time to develop it.

I was curious because of "Alias" (J.J Abrams previous project). I was then weary because the pilot episode was very intense. Plane crash + killer polar bear = Me freaking out. However I tired for a couple of episodes but eventually got "Lost" (pun intended) when I dipped in and out. Only relying on the promos.

That or a continuity error. The monks transformed the key into human form (Dawn), as you do. So maybe her immaturity was because the monks didn't know how a teenager is suppose to act. Dawn acted way more younger to me. That ice-cream, on the face moment when Xander and Anya babysit her is a primary example.

Anyway, I prefer your take on it.

[bk_forever]

I loved Alias, very well done. I keep meaning to do a re-watch, but I have so many things to re-watch. I'd also like to watch Lost all the way through. I remember being glued to the pilot.

Continuity errors do happen, even when the writers are being careful. Dawn was quite an immature teen to start with.

[cynthia2015.livejournal.com]

Sydney: My days of blindly following orders are over.

I lost count of how many languages Sydney is fluent in. Clever woman.:)

Lost was a big thing when it first premiered and eventually I got spoilers. It's also funny how they made Jin unable to speak English, and Sun (his wife) translate. When in real life, its the other way around.

Dawn:...oh, scary vampires. They die from a splinter.

On first watch, it can be overlooked. I think they made Dawn go through a kleptomaniac phase just to fill in time.

[bk_forever]

She was brilliant!

Dawn was acting out for attention I think. Her mom was dead, Buffy was always busy... I loved that it was Xander who made the wish that set everyone singing though.

[cynthia2015.livejournal.com]

The spy life sure looks tough.

For children that usually is the case. On the sitcom "Absolutely Fabulous", the mother was always taking stuff from her daughters house.

Oh Xander with his naivety.:)

[bk_forever]

I wouldn't want to be a spy!

I think most kids shoplift at some point.

I wanted to hug Xander. He screwed up but he meant well.

[cynthia2015.livejournal.com]

Yeah. It's very dangerous. They just make the rest look really cool in fiction world.

Michael Westen: [voice-over] When you're burned, you've got nothing: no cash, no credit, no job history. You're stuck in whatever city they decide to dump you in.

I know Michael wanted to clear his name. But I understood Fiona's distain for the spy world too.

Parents have to teach them stealing is wrong. Find out why they stole and teach them how to earn things in the right way.

At least Xander wasn't being selfish like with the love spell last time.

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It's a long time since I saw the show so I don't remember much.

My parents taught us well, but my sister still shoplifted, she stole chocolate from the corner shop one day while I was with her. I don't thin I stole anything from a shop, but I stole money from my parents, just a few pence here and there. I got caught though and told off.

Yeah, Xander just wanted some happy for everyone.

[cynthia2015.livejournal.com]

That's alright. Sometimes I have to double check a quote.:)

My dad wasn't working but my mum was. As much as my sweet tooth was, I wouldn't dare go through with it. They have really upped the security these days.

Xander: Well that’s the funny thing about me, I tend to hear the actual words people say and accept them at face value.
Anya: That’s stupid.
Xander: I can accept that.”

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They've had to. People will steal anything these days. I wouldn't, I grew out of that phase before I reached my teens, but parents don't seem to teach their kids right from wrong anymore.

Xander was so open and honest, but perhaps a bit naive to expect honesty back.

[cynthia2015.livejournal.com]

Rory Gimore (to her best friend, Lane Kim: I got kissed. And I shoplifted!*holding a box of corn starch.

Have you ever ran out of the shops after having your first kiss, without paying for a shopping item by accident? No? Well, either have I. Only in "Gilmore Girls".

Sometimes kids plead with their parents for sweets that are obviously place in an enticing display at the shops. I think it would help to teach kids the importance of giving, rather than just receiveing and positive reinforcement.

Billy Joel: Honesty is such a lonely word.

That was an area I could certainly relate to. Some people can be fickle. I've learned that the hard way. But In Anya's defence she was relearning what it is to be human again. It's nice when you can see it from both sides. In real life, that is not always the case.

[bk_forever]

I never have, but the alarms wet off when I left a shop today, and I stopped dead. Te cashier said it was fine; they can't deactivate the tags on the supplements I'd just bought.

Parents do need to be firm with their kids. Young kids don't understand that they can't have everything the want.

Anya found being human so confusing, but she was trying.

[cynthia2015.livejournal.com]

I heard certain credit cards can set shop alarms off by mistake. Sometimes they just go off without knowing the possible cause. It's happen to me a few times. I was told that retailers don't have a right to check handbags, unless they have reasonable doubt. Bags bigger than that, most definitely.

Kid's need to understand that money doesn't buy happiness. Sure, toys, games, and treats can be fun for the short term. Overindulgence will not help them in the long run for their emotional maturity.

Anya: For a thousand years I wielded the power of the wish. I brought ruin upon the heads of unfaithful men, I offered destruction and chaos for the pleasure of the lower beings. I was feared and worshiped across the mortal globe and now I'm stuck at Sunnydale High! A mortal! A child! And I'm flunking math.

I'm wasn't good at maths either.*shrugs*